India and coal

Coal is the main commercial energy fuel in India with 69% of electricity derived from coal-fired power stations. Ambitious plans by the Indian government to extend the electrification rate from its 2005 level of approximately 44% to the whole population, as well as catering for rapid growth in industrial and household consumption, are driving plans for a massive expansion of installed electricity capacity.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) notes in its 2006 review of Indian mining that the existing electricity generating system capacity was 116 gigawatts (GW) and it "needed to acquire an additional generating capacity of 65GW to sustain its economic growth in the next 5 to 10 years". The USGS estimates that 30GW of the additional 65GW could be from coal-fired power stations, with gas contributing 14GW and a further 21GW from new nuclear power stations.

While India has coal reserves estimated by the World Coal Institute (WCI) at 92 billion tonnes -- 217 years supply -- it is of low quality as it has a high ash content. In August 2010, the EIA projected that India has coal reserves of 62,300 million short tons.

India Rejects Calls to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In June 2009, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said that India will reject any international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ramesh said that the effort to cut global warming emissions should instead be undertaken by industrialized countries. As more than 190 countries negotiate a global climate treaty ahead of the COP15 conference, India is in talks with Brazil, China, and South Africa to call on the United States and Britain to reduce emissions 45 percent by the year 2020 from 1990 levels. Currently the European Union has pledged a 20 percent reduction, Japan has promised an 8 percent cut, and the U.S. is committed to returning to 1990 levels by 2020. All of these reductions fall below the UN target for global warming gases. Ramesh said India has pledged to contain per capita CO2 emissions below those of developed nations, but said, "There is no way India is going to accept any emission reduction target, period, between now and the Copenhagen meeting and thereafter."

Domestic Coal Mining
Between 1996 and 2005 Indian hard coal production increased from 285 million tonnes to 397.7 million tonnes in 2005. In addition, 37.1 million tonnes were estimated to have been imported in 2005 with a total coal consumption of 433.4 million tonnes. The World Coal Institute estimates that coal demand could grow to 758 million tonnes in 2030.

It was reported in May 2011 that Indonesia's coal mining companies were cranking up coal production to meet the fast pace of demand growth, and it was forecast that the country would produce 340 million tonnes of coal in 2011, up from 320 million tonnes in 2010.

Coal Reserves
A report issued by India think tank Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in December 2009 estimated that the country has approximately 45 years' worth of usable coal reserves. Previous estimates from geological studies had suggested that India had about 267 billion tonnes of coal, including approximately 105 billion tonnes of proven reserves, which could last for up to 200 years. The TERI report said the revised estimate showed the importance of developing policy initiatives for renewable energy, including aggressive promotion of solar energy technologies. Rajendra Pachauri, TERI's director-general, said, "It's a myth that India has a virtually unlimited supply of coal. Much of our coal is so deep that it cannot be mined." According to the report, India will have to increase its coal imports to about 1,300 million tonnes per year by 2030, unless initiatives are launched to lessen the country's dependence on coal - if renewable energy initiatives are launched effectively, coal imports could be restricted to 200 million tonnes per year.

In August 2010, the EIA projected that India has coal reserves of 62,300 million short tons.

In May 2011, the coal ministry said it plans to redefine the boundaries of 28 coal blocks in the country, to "help in improving availability of the essential fuel by 34 per cent." Out of a total 602 coal blocks in nine coalfields in the country, the environment ministry said the available areas for mining in the country would increase by up to 64 per cent from 59 per cent, according to estimates of the coal ministry.

Environment Minister approves coal blocks
On June 24, 2011, India Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh approved coal blocks in Chhattisgarh, after overruling the Forest Advisory Committee. Out of three blocks - Parsa East, Kante Basan and Tara in the Hasdeo-Arand forest region - the first two are allotted for Rajasthan and third is for Chhattisgarh.

Major Indian Coal Companies
The World Coal Institute states that "almost all of India's 565 [coal] mines are operated by Coal India and its subsidiaries, which account for about 86% of the country's coal production. Current policy allows private mines only if they are ‘captive' operations, i.e. they feed a power plant or factory. Most of the coal production in India comes from opencast mining, contributing over 83% of the total production. Coal India employs some 460,000 people and is one of the largest five companies in India."

The USGS estimates coal production from major wholly Coal India owned subsidiaries as being:
 * Bihar Coking Coal Ltd which operates in Bihar and West Bengal and has an annual capacity of 26 million tonnes;
 * Central Coalfields Ltd which operates in Bihar and has an annual capacity of 27 million tonnes;
 * Eastern Coalfields Ltd which operates in Bihar and West Bengal and has an annual capacity of 21 million tonnes;
 * Mahandadi Coalfields Ltd which operates in Orissa and has an annual capacity of 21 million tonnes;
 * North-Eastern Coalfields Ltd which operates in Assam and has an annual capacity of 640 million tonnes;
 * Northern Coalfields Ltd which operates in Indian Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and has an annual capacity of 24 million tonnes;
 * South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. which operates in Madhya Pradesh and has an annual capacity of 36 million tonnes;
 * Western Coalfields Ltd. which operates in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and has an annual capacity of 18 million tonnes;
 * Neyveli Lignite Corp. Ltd. which operates in Tamil Nadu and has an annual capacity of 17 million tonnes of lignite.

Another major coal mining operation is Singareni Collieries Co. Ltd., India’s oldest coal miner, and the second largest Indian coal miner after Coal India. SCCL operates 13 opencast and 42 underground mines in the Godavari River Valley, in southern India (Andhra Pradesh), producing 52-million tons a year of coal, as of 2011. SCCL is 50% owned by the Andhra Pradesh State government and 50% by the Indian government. In 2006, it had an annual capacity of 18 million tonnes.

Children miners
An estimated 70,000 children work in the coal mines in the Jaintia Hills in northeast India, according to Impulse, a children’s rights organization working to end the practice. The youngest of the miners are just 7 years old. An article in The Christian Science Monitor reported that many work for a few dollars a day – $5 per cartload of coal – in narrow, unreinforced seams in 5,000 small mines. Most are Nepalese, who are allowed to apply to work there, but many are Bangladeshis, who are there illegally. Others are Indian. Some have been sold by their families as indentured laborers, according to Impulse.

While Indian law prohibits child labor, India’s Constitution grants the tribal and native communities in this region exclusive rights over their land, which includes operating the mines. Also, lawsuits against mine owners are conveyed by national courts to local courts, where mine owners are unlikely to be prosecuted. Mine manager Purna Lama says there is no money for safety measures, other laws and many rules are meant to protect cottage industries, while many mines are owned by state and national lawmakers or their relatives. Cave-ins are always a threat; wooden ladders leading down to quarries are slippery with moss; there is little or no access to medical care, sanitation, safe drinking water, or even adequate ventilation. Mr. Lama estimates that there are eight accidents a month in the mines, at least two of which are fatal.

The number of children working in the state's 5,000 coal mines is a matter of dispute, with Impulse estimating tens of thousands and local politicians putting it in the hundreds. In May 2011, the LA Times reported that most of the children miners work in Meghalaya, where the government "with only seven labor inspectors and no vehicle, all but ignores child labor and safety problems, keen to goose the economy" and that the government "acknowledged that 222 children worked in 20 villages mining and hauling coal and doing related jobs, but it has done nothing to rescue them."

Coalbed methane in India
On January 4, 2011, Great Eastern Energy said it had signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu government for the development of gas reserves lying below coal seams in the Mannargudi block in the state. Great Eastern was awarded the Mannargudi block located near Tiruchirapalli in June 2010 in the fourth round of bidding for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks. Great Eastern is the first company to commercially produce CBM in India. Great Eastern is currently producing CBM from its block in Raniganj, West Bengal, and is already supplying CBM to various industrial customers in and around Asansol/Durgapur, West Bengal as well as syngas to vehicles through India Oil petrol pumps and, potentially, Bharat Petroleum outlets as well. The Mannargudi block is spread over an area of 691 sq km and the CBM resource is estimated at 0.98 trillion cubic feet.

Domestic Consumption and Coal-Fired Power Stations
The dramatic expansion of installed power generation capacity - which is estimated to have increased by about 64% in a decade -- is the dominant driver of increased coal consumption. The 2005 estimate for installed capacity is 137GW. With limited oil and gas reserves, the government is promoting plans for a major expansion of coal-fired power stations. The Ministry of Coal is also promoting the establishment of coal-to-liquids projects.

The map below shows the location of about 30 proposed coal plants. For a list of coal plants by state and by name, click here.

Coal-fired power stations financed by international public investment institutions
Coal-fired power stations financed by international public investment institutions include:
 * Barh power station, India
 * Bhilai Works power station, India
 * Ib Valley power station, India
 * Kahalgaon power station, India
 * Krishnapatnam Ultra Mega Power Project, India
 * Krishnapatnam power station, India
 * Mumbai Jindal power station, India
 * Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project, India
 * Pathadi power station, India
 * Simhadri power station, India
 * Sipat power station, India

Proposed New "Ultra Mega" Coal-Fired Power Stations
India has proposed a series of 'ultra mega' coal-fired power stations of 4,000 megawatts or more.

In 2007 the Ministry of Power, an Indian government agency, proposed the development of nine additional 4,000 megawatt 'ultra maga' power projects to be financed on a Build, Own, and Operate basis by private companies selected by the government. The Ministry of Power stated that the projects would be 'super critical' coal plants which would either be located at the pithead of specific coal deposits or at coastal projects to be based on imported coal.

In an attempt to make the projects attractive for private sector investors, the Ministry of Power, the Central Electricity Authority and the Power Finance Corporation determined that it "was deemed necessary to provide the site, fuel linkage in captive mining blocks, water and obtain environment and forests clearance, substantial progress on land acquisition leading to possession of land, through a Shell Company." The shell companies were also given the initial task for finalizing agreements with power purchasers.

The Ministry stated that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had selected the sites in consultation with state governments with the coastal sites being the Mundra, Krishnapatnam, Tadri, Girye, and Cheyyur projects. The mine pithead sites are the Sasan, Tilaiya, Sundergarh and Akaltara projects.

While the Indian government has ambitious plans for new power stations, some have noted that in the past the government has been unable to deliver on its stated plans. "The government’s capacity addition programme has been grossly inadequate in the past. In the 9th and 10th Plans, less than 50% of the targeted capacity was added. In the on-going 11th Plan, while the Centre had originally planned to add 768,577 MW [sic - one digit too many] of capacity, the power ministry has now scaled down the target to 62,000 MW," wrote Amiti Sen & Subhash Narayan in the Economic Times.

In 2007 the Hindustan Times reported that of the 9 locations initially selected for Ultra Mega Power Project "three including Girye in Maharashtra, Akaltara in Chattisgarh and Tadri in Karnataka may have to be eventually abandoned. Despite being a pit head project, the Akaltara project has been dogged by coal linkage issues, while the Tadri project has been delayed due to various reasons, including the unstable political situation in Karnataka."

The current nine identified proposals are:

Proposed coal-to-liquids projects
In March 2009 the Indian government announced that it had awarded two coal blocks for the development of two different coal-to-liquids projects in the state of Orissa. These are:


 * the north Arkhapal coal block to Strategic Energy Technology Systems Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Tata Power and Sasol Synfuels International, the international synfuels subsidiary of Sasol. It is projected that the $10 billion. plant would produce 80,000 barrels of crude oil a day. In early 2010 Orissa's Chief minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters that "though we have not identified the location, the proposed plant will be somewhere in the state." It was also reported that the coal would come from the Srirampur area in Talcher. The Business Standard also stated that the project "requires 3,000 acre of land for its main plant, additional land would be required for setting up coal mines, benefication plants, coal handling plants, water reservoirs, power plants and a township" and would involved the establishment of a 1600 megawatt power station. The newspaper also reported that the joint venture was "yet to make a formal application" for the plant the company was pressing the state government "to provide adequate facilities for early commissioning of the project." (See Srirampur Coal-to-Liquids Project for more details).


 * the Ramchandi block to Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) is projected to produce 80,000 barrels per day will use the German Lurgi technology. The plant is proposed to be established at Kishore Nagar in Angul district of Orissa. Waste coal from the washery is proposed to be used as fuel for a 1,350MW power station. (See Kishore Nagar Coal-to-Liquids Project for more details).

2010: 173 plants approved
According to the Sierra Club, India approved 173 coal fired power plants in 2010.

Four new coal plants in Uttar Pradesh
In December 2010, it was reported that four coal fired power plants of 1320 MW each will be set up in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh "to meet the state's growing energy needs." According to Press Trust of India, a high profile government body, Energy Task Force (ETF), approved the plants. A decision was taken by ETF Chairman and UP Chief Secretary Atul Kumar Gupta. While National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will be constructing a plant in Bihlaur, Kanpur, Torrent Power will set up one in Sandila, Wellspun and TSBC in Khurja.

Andhra Pradesh, India
As of 2011, the installed capacity in the state of Andhra Pradesh is 15,800 MW. According to a survey by the Central Electricity Authority, the peak electrical demand in the state is expected to reach 28,215 MW by 2021. There are 117 proposed power plants in the state, geared to generate an additional 77,800 MW. Of this, 55,925 MW will be coal-based.

There has been community resistance against coal plants in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the Srikakulam District, where six coal plants are proposed including the Nagarjuna Construction Company Sompeta Thermal Plant, and the Krishnapatnam port, where 24 plants are proposed. Police are reported to be unleashing violence and intimidation to suppress villagers as they struggle to protect their livelihood and habitats.

The Nagarjuna Construction Company Sompeta Thermal Plant is a 2640 MW coal-fired power plant proposed for Sompeta in Andhra Pradesh, India. In the wake of highly publicized protests and the killings of local residents by police, the project's environmental clearance was revoked by the ministry of environment and forests in July, 2010.

The Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project is a 2,640 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station proposed by East Coast Energy to be constructed in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Environment Minister approves sixteen coal projects
On February 11, 2011 India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh approved a total of sixteen new coal projects that were on hold due to environmental regulations. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal stated that the environment minister’s okay of Coal India's proposed coal mine projects was due to pressure from higher levels in the Indian government. The Coal Minister also stated that environmental regulations are one of the reasons why the growth of Coal India – which produces 80 percent of the country's coal – dropped to 2 percent in 2010, compared to 2009's figure of almost 7 percent. However, the Coal Minister said the areas off limits to coal mining would remain off limits, despite the likely increase in the country's coal use.

DB Power's proposed Dharamjaigarh coal mine and plant
DB Power is a subsidiary of DB Corp Ltd, a media conglomerate in India. DB Power is seeking the acquisition of 693.32 hectares of land for a coal mine, a project in Dharamjaigarh that would displace an estimated 524 families from six settlements to extract 2 million tonnes of coal annually. The coal would be used to fuel a 1320 MW thermal power plant that would be built in the adjoining district of Janjgir. After public protest against the proposed mine, DB Power submitted an affidavit pledging not to conduct any mining operations in nagar panchayat land. A supplementary letter filed at a Feb. 2011 public hearing promised to re-site any proposed water tanks and coal piles from nagar panchayat land to the remaining leased area. Four villages, however, would still lose their lands.

Coal Exports
India has almost negligible coal exports, estimated to be at only 1.5 million tonnes in 2005.

Coal Imports
In 2009, India imported 67 mega tons (Mt) of coal, according to estimates by the World Coal Institute. According to the U.S. EIA, in 2009 India mined 613.4 million short tons of coal, and used 680.9 million short tons. The World Coal Institute puts 2009 India coal production at 526Mt.

In 2010, Chairman of Coal India Partha Bhattacharyya projected that India may import close to 100 million metric tons of coal in the year 2010 - ending March 31, 2011 - to meet growing demand for the fuel from power plants. India generates 70% or more of its electricity by burning coal.

Indian coal imports are rising rapidly. From April 2008 through March 2009, the country imported 59 million metric tons (tonnes); from April 2009 through March 2010 imports rose 24 percent to 73.25 million tonnes. In February 2011, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal projected that 2010/2011 imports would jump 70 percent to 142 million tonnes.

On a calendar year basis, according to India Coal Market Watch port data, India’s coal imports rose by 14 percent from 2009, to 86.28 million metric tons in 2010. Imports of coking coal, used in steel making, totaled 25.8 million tons and the rest was made up of thermal coal for electricity and heat, according to estimates. Overseas purchases of coking coal rose by 1.3 percent last year, while thermal coal imports increased by about 24 percent. Imports of the fuel may rise to more than 100 million tons in 2011 because India is adding about 4,000 megawatts of coal-fired capacity, it said.

Terminals
India is dependent on a number of coal terminals to bring these imports into the country, as shown on the map below.

Future imports
Tata Power, a Tata group company, is looking for a strategic stake in Indonesian and South African coal mines for supply of 6-8 million tons of coal to fuel its 2x800MW thermal power project, the Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project. The company targets to acquire a stake that will assure 8-9 million tons of coal supply. Tata Power is also seeking out coal from East Kalimantan and Mozambique.

Coal India (CIL) plans to forge new deals with a mix of domestic and foreign companies. The latter includes BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Vale of Brazil, as well as Vedanta Resources, a London-based metals producer that has embarked on a US$10 billion expansion of Indian coal mining to also increase its output of zinc, lead, and silver, and to power its expanding Jharsuguda aluminum smelter in Orissa. The Coal Ministry in early 2010 announced it was "encouraging" CIL to acquire or develop coal mining operations in Mozambique, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa and the US. The state company is also negotiating with Peabody Energy for stakes in four Australian mines, aimed at producing12 mt per annum by 2012.

On August 2, 2010, news reports said India's Adani Group will buy a coal tenement in Queensland's Galilee Basis from Australia's Linc Energy. The deal could be worth more than 1 billion Australian dollars (900 million US), and would be the first time an Indian company has bought a coal seam rather than invested in a coal mining company. Adani is India's largest coal importer and a key player in India's plans to double power generation over the coming decade: there are 28 coal-fired plants under construction and another 28 on the drawing board. The value of shares in Linc has risen nearly 60 per cent since the start of July in anticipation of the sale of three Queensland coal assets. Linc's primary business is coal seam gas.

It was announced in November 2011 that Coal India was in talks with Peabody Energy and Massey Energy about acquiring two of the companies' mines. Coal India has budgeted $1.2 billion to buy assets in the U.S., Indonesia and Australia during the year ending March 2011 as it battles a widening gap between domestic coal supply and demand.

In early January 2011, MMTC, India's largest state-run trading company, announced that India was going to increase its coal imports from South Africa. Indian demand for South Africa’s coal contributed to Asia overtaking Europe in 2009 as the largest shipping destination for the fuel used in power plants.

Indian company buys stake in Australian coal port
In April 2011, Indian company Adani Enterprises, the country’s largest coal importer, agreed to buy Australia's Abbot Point Coal Terminal for A$1.83bn ($1.98bn).

The purchase was among a number placed by Indian groups in Australia and elsewhere as the country to secure energy resources to meet rising demand for power to complete infrastructure projects in India.

India carbon tax
On July 1, 2010, India imposed a carbon tax on coal producers, and expects to raise $535 million, the first step by Asia’s third-largest energy consumer to charge companies for fossil fuel pollution. Coal, used to fire more than half of India’s electricity generation, will be taxed at 50 rupees a metric ton to help fund clean-energy projects. Coal producers nationwide will be charged the tax starting July 1, 2010, the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in a notice on its website after the levy was proposed in the federal government budget in February. The clean-energy levy will also apply to imported coal, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in his budget speech. Coal emits more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than other fossil fuels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

India’s total coal production is estimated to reach 571.87 million tons in the year ending March, the government said on Feb. 24. In addition, Coal India, the world’s largest producer, expects the country will import close to 100 million tons this year, Chairman Partha Bhattacharyya said May 19. India has set a voluntary target to cut its carbon intensity, or the amount of carbon dioxide released per unit of gross domestic product, by as much as 25 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. The government also plans to introduce a domestic market starting this year for trading environmental credits. Businesses will face renewable energy and energy-savings targets and be issued credits that will trade on the country’s two power exchanges. The coal tax was announced on Feb. 26 along with a decision to impose duties on crude and oil products that were withdrawn after record oil prices and the global recession.

The European Union, South Korea and Japan are considering taxing carbon-dioxide emissions from burning fuels such as coal and oil to slow climate change. Australia’s new prime minister Julia Gillard said June 24 she would “re-prosecute the case for a carbon tax” at home and abroad after her predecessor shelved plans for an emissions-trading plan. Chief executive officers including Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Corp. and Paolo Scaroni of Italy’s Eni SpA have advocated a flat tax over carbon-trading systems like the European Union’s, saying a levy allows companies to plan for a simpler, more stable cost of pollution. EU permits for December, the allowances in the European Union’s emissions trading system, declined 0.5 percent to 15.19 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide today on London’s European Climate Exchange.

India and climate change mitigation
In August 2010, the Indian government announced it was sanctioning $6.4 billion to finance efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the environmentally sensitive and populous areas of the country. The funds will be used to achieve the targets and goals mentioned in the National Action Plan on Climate Change released by the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change in 2008. The plan of action to mitigate the impacts of climate change have been subdivided into eight broad categories covering the most critical areas: energy efficiency, solar energy, sustainable agriculture, water conservation, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, and building a knowledge base for understanding climate change and its impacts better.

Answering a question in the Parliament, the Environment and Forest minster Mr. Jairam Ramesh said that India would be among the most gravely affected areas in the world because of the changing climate. He said that the government needs to be more responsible and should bear in mind the possible adverse impacts climate change while negotiating for an international climate treaty.

The government has announced several initiatives through which the multi-billion dollar fund would be constituted. The government will soon launch an energy efficiency certificate trading mechanism. Under the initiative, energy efficiency standards will be mandated for over 700 industries, and if the industries fail to achieve the standards they would have to buy certificates to compensate for the exceedance.

Another initiative, the renewable energy certificate program, will mandate states to buy a minimum amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources failing which, they would have to buy renewable energy certificates from authorized renewable energy power projects.

The Clean Energy Fund requires that from July 1, 2010, the government start levying INR 50 ($1.1) on every ton of coal mined or imported. For 2010, an estimated $650 million is likely to be generated, and could increase to over $2 billion by 2015. The funds would be simultaneously used for various clean energy, pollution control, and environment management projects: the National Solar Mission, afforestation projects to increase the carbon offsetting capacities of the Indian forests, projects associated with coastline management to counter rise in sea levels, eco-restoration of sensitive areas in the Himalayan ecosystem, improving the condition of the water resources, and switching to energy efficient lighting systems are some of the projects.

India and renewable energy
In May of 2011 it was reported that India plans to invest $37 billion to create 17,000 MW of renewable energy generation by 2017, the Ministry for New & Renewable Energy said in a statement. The projected investment would come primarily from the private sector.

The current operating renewable energy capacity in India is 20,000 MW, which accounts for 11% of the total power capacity in the country. The major share of power as of 2011 comes from coal which accounts for 40% of the country’s energy usage.

The Indian government had quadrupled its renewable energy targets earlier in 2011 as part of its national plan to reduce carbon intensity which aimed at installing 74.4 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 and reduction in carbon emissions intensity by 20-25% of 2005 levels over the next ten years.

Arrest of indigenous rights activists
On May 28, 2011, two indigenous rights activists, Ramesh Agrawal and Dr Harihar Patel, were arrested in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh and denied release on bail.

The state police charged the two men with “circulating defamatory material”, “disrupting public order” and “causing alarm and panic among the public” at a May 8, 2010 mandatory public consultation, held by the state pollution board at Tamnar village, relating to the proposed expansion of a coal-fired plant run by Jindal Steel and Power.

Agrawal and Patel expressed concerns that the expansion would lead to the forcible acquisition of lands from the surrounding local communities by the authorities. The two activists had objected to the proposal and cited an official inspection report which stated that the expansion began before the mandatory clearances were given. Ramesh Agrawal also successfully petitioned India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests to temporarily suspend the terms of reference for the expansion. Following a complaint relating to the delay, the state authorities decided to arrest the two activists.

Ramesh Agrawal works for the environmental rights organization Jan Chetna, and Dr Harihar Patel practices indigenous medicine. They had been actively campaigning against the pollution caused by existing industrial projects, including coal plants, and the potential negative environmental impact of proposed industrial projects in central Chhattisgarh. The two activists have been at the forefront of the campaign for the public disclosure of information relating to projects which affect local Adivasi (Indigenous) communities and for ensuring that these are available to the communities. Their arrest, Amnesty International believes, is intended to stop their peaceful campaign activities.

The two activists were sent to Raigarh prison until June 3, 2011, and a local court rejected their appeals for release on bail on June 2. Ramesh Agrawal, who complained of hypertension, was taken for treatment at a government-run hospital where he is being kept chained to his bed.

World Bank financing
In October 2010 Green groups criticized the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) for its expected final approval of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidized federal financing for the 4,000 megawatts (MW) Sasan coal power plant and mine in India.

The groups also accused the Bank of falsely linking renegotiation of the coal financing to a renewable energy project.

“Ex-Im Bank flip flopped on this massive climate-damaging project--and belly flopped on the first major test of the agency’s carbon policy,” said Michelle Chan, director of the economic policy program at Friends of the Earth.

August 2007: 6,000 people face displacement in Madhya Pradesh
Five villages -- Sidhikhurg, Sidhikala, Tiyara, Jhanjhi, and Harrhawa -- covering approximately 3,000 acres and with a population of 10,000 people are slated for displacement by the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project in the far western corner of Madhya Pradesh, a state located in central India. The project will use caol from coal mines located 20 to 25 kilometers away, in Mohar, Amlori, and Chatrasal. The project is sponsored by Reliance Power.

July 2010: Two killed, 150 injured in Andhra Pradesh
On July 14, 2010, police in Adhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district fired on farmers and fisherman protesting a 2,640 MW coal plant under construction by Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), killing two. In addition, 150 people were injured, including 45 policemen, during clashes between protesters and police. In the wake of the violence, police were deployed in about a dozen villages and banned assembly by more than five persons.

January 2010: Hanakon thermal project shelved after intense protest; protesters tortured
On July 18, 2009, thousands rallied in Karwar to protest the proposed Hanakon thermal station. The rally began at the Maladevi ground, and was followed by a meeting at Savitha circle. A series of speakers denounced the project as a threat to a biologically sensitive region, and criticized the company's suppression of protest. The protest passed the office of Ind Bharat Company, sponsor of the project. Protesters allegedly pelted the offices with stones, then attempted to block the national highway. A coalition of 24 groups submitted a joint memorandum opposing the project. Following a call for a bandh, or general strike, in response to police violence against protesters in Hanakon village, schools and colleges closed in August 2009. The bandh was also observed by shopkeepers of Nandanagadda area of Karwar. Students from multiple colleges marched to primary and high schools in Karwar, closing in each school. The project was shelved in January 2010. According to S R Nayak, chairman of the State Human Rights Commission, police tortured agitators in custody. During a hearing sponsored by the Commission, 40 people testified, including 28 victims of torture at the hands of police.

January 2011: 25 people injured in Chhattisgarh protests
On January 17, 2011, at least 25 people were injured and over a hundred were taken into custody during protests by farmers against land acquisition by KSK Energy Ventures Limited, sponsors of the 3,600 MW KSK Mahanadi Power Project at Nariyara village in the Akaltara district of Chhattisgarh, about 170 km from the state capital Raipur. At issue in the protests is the prime quality of the agricultural land being made available for an estimated 40,000 MW of power plants planned for the Janjgir-Champa district. State Congress president Dhanendra Sahu told reporters, "It's a foolish decision, Janjgir-Champa has highly productive farm land and also has access to irrigation facilities. This is a conspiracy by the state government to hand over farmers' prime land to industries."

February 2011: Two killed, 25 injured in Andhra Pradesh
On February 28, 2011, in a set of clashes sparked by construction of the Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project by East Coast Energy, police in Srikakulam fired into villagers, killing two people and injuring nearly 25 others. The plant at the center of the violence was in the same district as the coal plant where two people were killed the previous July 2010, protesting the Nagarjuna Construction Company Sompeta Thermal Plant. The dead were identified as Sirapu Yerraiah (36) of Sirapuvani Peta and J. Nageswara Rao (35) of Akashalakkavaram. At least two of the injured were hit at close range with rubber bullets. Police used guns, teargas, and lathis against villagers, who used stones and sticks. After police threw smoke bombs in Vadditandra village, 50 houses were gutted. A police jeep was burned by villagers.

April 2011: Four killed in protests against anti-encroachment drive in Jharkand
The state of Jharkhand is home to one of the largest Adivasi (tribal) populations in India. It is also the location of an estimated 40% of the country’s deposits of coal, iron ore, uranium and other minerals. Jharkhand’s Adivasis have farmed and hunted on the land for millennia, but do not hold title deeds, but as the original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent, Adivasis have ancient land rights protected by law. They are, however, being forced to leave their ancestral lands to make way for new mines, steel mills and hydroelectric projects, with little or no compensation.

Following resistance by local residence against house demolitions at Matkoria, four people were killed in clashes with police attempting to clear land owned by Bharat Coking Coal Limited. In addition, 21 people were injured and 27 arrested. Among the arrested were former ministers Bacha Singh and OP lal, Congress MLA Manan Mallick, and deputy mayor Niraj Singh. A curfew was imposed on Dhanbad town. Among those killed in the fighting was Vikash Kuman, an auto driver. Another fatality was that of Sanjay Paswan. The protesters blocked National Highway 32 between Dhanbad and Bokaro for several hours. Police used lathis and teargas to disperse protesters. A Mob set fire to offices of Bharat Coking Coal Limited at Kunsunda and Godhar. Protesters also set on fire a police check post in Matkuriya as well as three police vehicles. Nine people were reported in critical condition with bullet wounds. Among the injured were a half dozen members of the media, including four camera men. Most of those being subjected to the anti-encroachment drive had settled in the area 80 years earlier.

May 2011: Mango farmers protest coal plants in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district
Farmers marched to protest coal plants in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, in an area known as the Konkan Coast. The protests were organized by the Ratnagiri Zilla Jagruk Manch, an organization leading a campaign against seven thermal power plants proposed for the district. In Pawas, Ratnagiri district, villagers protested with a hunger strike.

June 2011: Three deaths believed to be related to coal mafia
On June 2, 2011, a 15-member motorbike gang shot dead a realtor and two others at the Asansol courthouse in India, which the police said was likely a rivalry between coal mafias. Councillor Rohit Nunia from Kulti, a town 30km from Asansol whose municipality is run by a Trinamul-Congress alliance, is believed by police to be involved in coal smuggling and seeking revenge for an attempt on his life in December 2010, although a Left Front leader claimed the coal connection crosses political parties.

The 15 youths appeared suddenly, called realtor Ram Lakshman Yadav's name, and began shooting. Within seconds, the realtor, a guard, and Mukesh Singh, had slumped to the ground while the gang chased Kamalesh Singh to the basement. Mukesh was sent to a hospital in Durgapur while the other three were declared dead on arrival at an Asansol hospital. Yadav had been riddled with 10 bullets, sources said, and the other two slain men too had multiple wounds.

Jagmohan, the deputy inspector-general, said the slain realtor had two cases pending against him, one for possession of illegal arms in 1994 and the other for a murder attempt in 1999. Another officer said three suspects had been detained, including CPI councillor Nunia: “An attempt was made on Nunia’s life six months ago but he escaped unhurt. He was involved in smuggling coal out of the IISCO factory."

Citizens Groups Tracking Coal Power and Mining in India

 * Conservation Action Trust
 * Environmental Protection Group, Orissa
 * India Youth Climate Network
 * Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination Committee
 * Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group
 * Kuntala Lahiri Dutta Australia
 * Mines, Minerals and People
 * Samata

Government Agencies

 * Ministry of Coal (India)

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Tata Power
 * Tata Ultra Mega
 * India and nuclear power
 * U.S.- India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative
 * Global use and production of coal
 * Australia and coal
 * Britain and coal
 * China and coal
 * Colombia and coal
 * Germany and coal
 * Indonesia and coal
 * Japan and coal
 * New Zealand and coal
 * South Africa and coal
 * United States and coal

External Articles

 * "Sierra Club India Trip" Sierra Club, April 12, 2011
 * Jeff Biggers, "India's Coal Rush: Interview With Jharkhand Leader Bulu Imam" League of India, March 6, 2011
 * "Jharkhand: A Disappearing World" Panos Pictures, accessed May 2011.
 * Ministry of Coal, "Coal Mining in India: The Past", Ministry of Coal website, accessed June 2008.
 * Ministry of Coal, 2007-2008 Annual Report", Government of India Ministry of Coal. (Large Pdf)
 * International Energy Agency, "Coal in India in 2005", International Energy Agency website, accessed June 2008.
 * U.S. Geological Survey, India 1994-2006
 * "India", World Coal Institute, undated, accessed June 2008.
 * Country Profile: Focus on India", Ecoal, World Coal Institute, July 2006.
 * Abhay Singh and Pratik Parija, "Coal India Seeks Faster Approvals, Imports, Overseas Miners", Bloomberg, July 1, 2009.
 * Jeff Biggers, "India's Coal Rush and Form of Mountaintop Removal: Interview with Jharkhand Leader Bulu Imam," Huffington Post, December 13, 2010
 * Srinivas Krishnaswamy, "SHIFTING OF GOAL POSTS: Rural Electrification in India: A Progress Report," Vasudha Foundation, March, 2010
 * Jason Miklian and Scott Carney, "Fire in the Hole: How India's economic rise turned an obscure communist revolt into a raging resource war," Foreign Policy, September / October 2010